Basketball Game Preview: Mahpiya Luta Crusaders vs. Spearfish Spartans

Mahpiya Luta is 8-1 against Spearfish since December of 2014 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Mahpiya Luta Crusaders are taking a road trip to square off against the Spearfish Spartans at 6:00 p.m. Mahpiya Luta knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past ten matches -- so hopefully Spearfish likes a good challenge.

Mahpiya Luta is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of South Dakota's top teams: Vermillion, who was ranked 13th at the time (Mahpiya Luta was ranked ninth). Everything went Mahpiya Luta's way against Vermillion on Saturday as Mahpiya Luta made off with a 56-34 win. Fans of the Crusaders have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 20+ points.

Ashlan Carlow-Blount continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, dropping a double-double on 14 points and 11 rebounds. She has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more steals the last 35 times she's played. Jodene Big Crow-Hunter was another key player, putting up 19 points and three steals.

Mahpiya Luta smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in four consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Spearfish hadn't done well against Harrisburg recently (they were 1-6 in their previous seven matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Saturday. Spearfish strolled past Harrisburg with points to spare, taking the game 46-27.

Spearfish is also on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a nice bump to their 5-3 record this season. As for Mahpiya Luta, their victory bumped their record up to 10-0.

Mahpiya Luta beat Spearfish 63-53 when the teams last played back in January of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Mahpiya Luta since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.